Flicks, Glenn Dunks
A group of wealthy old friends reunite in the Australian drama Palm Beach, which was the opening night film of this year's Sydney Film Festival. The actors are impressive but the stakes are so low it's hard to care.
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Palm Beach
A group of lifelong friends reunite in idyllic Palm Beach, Sydney, in this Australian drama directed by Rachel Ward. Stars Bryan Brown, Sam Neill, Greta Scacchi and Richard E. Grant.
Reunited to celebrate a special birthday, the good times are set to roll. But tensions mount as secrets are slowly unearthed.
2019Rating: M, Coarse language100 minsAustralia
Drama
- Director:
- Rachel Ward ('Martha's New Coat', 'Beautiful Kate')
- Writer:
- Joanna Murray-SmithRachel Ward
- Cast:
- Richard E. GrantSam NeillGreta ScacchiJacqueline McKenzieBryan BrownAaron JefferyClaire van der BoomCharlie Vickers
Palm Beach / Reviews
Herald Sun
Would be just about bearable if the acting, writing or direction could rustle anything relatable from the glam gathering.
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News.com.au
It’s not a particularly emotional exercise, nor is it a cerebral one, unless the middling problems of wealthy white people get your synapses firing.
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Variety
This isn't so much a movie as a Venn diagram of working talent, cashing in their chips to have a good time together creating accessible entertainment.
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The Guardian
There's nothing conceptually wrong with dramas about affluence or affluent people of course, but boy does it take a while to feel even vaguely sympathetic to the troubles confronting Ward's characters.
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Sydney Morning Herald
A less likeable group of actors could easily have been upstaged by the conspicuous perfection of the setting and the décor. This bunch hold their own, but a sharper script would have made them shine even brighter.
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Screen Daily
Palm Beach works best an ensemble showcase filled with ample talent making the most of their requisite lively and serious moments, as directed by a filmmaker with an attentive and generous eye.
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Hollywood Reporter
What makes the whole thing work is Ward's facility with performers, and the wrinkles that are threaded into plot points we've seen a million times before.
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